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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Hiring in E-Commerce - Archelons' Story

The e-commerce sector in India is bubbling with activity. With the funds freely flowing from the VCs, the number of e-commerce companies has been on a continuous rise which has been buoyed by MakeMyTrip's listing on the NASDAQ. The emergence of new entrants also means an increased demand for skilled professionals in this particular industry.The hiring in e-commerce domain is distinct from that in any other industry. It may be close but is definitely not the same as that in IT or Retail .Archelons stepped in this industry with Flipkart as its client a few years back. Hiring began for what was a start-up and a relatively unknown name at that point of time. Our recruiters were as excited as those at Flipkart themselves while selling the job opportunity and the idea. And that enthusiasm in our recruiters continues till date. Whether it has been in partnering Flipkart since past few years or hiring for Letsbuy,UrbanTouch or recently funded Valyoo Technologies, the recruiters at Archelons understand the needs of the e-commerce industry. It is that understanding and the excitement of our team which has made us one of the most sought after recruitment partners for the e-commerce companies. ( Interestingly, as soon as an e-comm start-up receives its funding, we receive a call for its hiring mandate :))So what is it that has made us a success in this domain ? It is an understanding of the following three things- 1. Since most, if not all, e-commerce companies are start-ups, it is important to find candidates who have a 'Start-up DNA' ie candidates who are excited about a concept, who are interested in building something new, those who want to be part of a success story and are not afraid to take risk. Those looking for a big brand name, a swanky office, loads of perks with pre-defined roles and growth path in an org with structured and pre-defined processes with sane people will very well stay away from a start-up. So, while hiring for e-comm it is important to identify the DNA.2.Next comes the technical skill sets and knowledge. Most e-comm companies look at candidates with strong basics and great analytical abilities. A candidate may not have exceptional hands-on technical knowledge of a particular skill set or technology that the company works on. But if he has his concepts clear, is willing to learn and adapt and can logically make use of his mind ( which trust me, not many of us can do) , he is fit for the company. It is important for the candidate to be flexible and be able to evolve with the fast paced changes happening in the industry.3.Generalists and not specialists are preferred in this industry since the candidate may be expected to wear many hats at the same time. Hence it becomes important that the candidate has a sense of responsibility and ownership towards his work.While our team at Archelons, tries hard to source technically suitable candidates, we also devise ways and means to identify the presence or absence of the above traits. And it is these continuous efforts which help us garner appreciation from both the clients as well as the candidates.So as long as the funds are flowing in and there is a hiring spree, we hope to ride the e-commerce wave Right on Top !